OPINION: LL Cool J was rap’s first superstar solo act — whether that makes him the most important is debatable.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
LL Cool J, the multi-hyphenate entertainer who in 2024 released his 14th studio album, “The FORCE,” nearly 40 years after releasing his debut album, “Radio,” recently sat down for an interview on Apple Music’s Le Code where he “humbly” told the host that one day people are going to wake up and realize that he is the most important rapper that ever existed.
Now look, I’m an LL Cool J fan. I still remember the first time I saw the video for “Mama Said Knock You Out” and how I was ready to defend LL Cool J as the best rapper in the game after the album of the same name dropped. It was 1990 and I was 11. I had good taste even back then. I’ve always been a fan of LL, even though I think, with some time to sit with and analyze, that his catalog is probably not as good as it is important (we’ll get back to this). Of course, the one thing that cannot be accounted for when trying to analyze a 1995 world in 2024 is what it felt like when, say, “Mr. Smith” dropped. The phenomenon that was “Hey Lover” or “Loungin’” cannot be summed up in words; you truly did have to be there to understand just how big of a deal LL Cool J was.
And you know who was there for all of it? LL Cool J.
The first thought I had when hearing that LL referred to himself as the most important rapper was, “Well, he’s not wrong.” I mean, being first matters. Being first and still being able to put out an album forty years later and doing media rounds and people still respecting what you’ve done speaks volumes. For a lot of rappers, LL Cool J probably represented a blueprint (which is his point). He claims that he introduced the jewelry and the ballin’ out and the rap love songs and bad boy vibes, etc. At its most basic, I think LL Cool J is right about all of that. As the first real superstar rapper, it makes sense that he would be the one to bring what was essentially drug dealer culture into hip-hop; LL Cool J has been very open about the fact that the cats he was rolling with at the beginning of his career were the drug dealers and the kingpins. It seems like they all gave LL that style. Since he was doing that in the mid-’80s, he’s right about introducing that into the hip-hop space. Or at the very least, being one of the biggest to do it at the time.
LL was also able to switch gears successfully, being able to make hardcore rap jams and anthems for women. He battled rappers and won those battles. LL Cool J maintained the respect of the hip-hop community even as he moved into the elder statesman role. And let’s be real, LL did introduce the most significant terminology hip-hop has ever had (save for the actual moniker of hip-hop): he gave us the acronym GOAT, which stands for “greatest of all time.” Yes, he probably ganked that from Muhammad Ali, but he brought that into hip-hop and it’s been here ever since.
Importance is a weird maker for any individual. Being the most important individual to an entire genre of music is even weirder; I don’t think LL Cool J is wrong that he’s the most important, but I also don’t know that it would be worth digging into it any further. I think the more you dig, the more it would be possible to find spaces that might dispel his own notion.
With that said, it also seems like not too many folks felt strong enough disagreement with LL to make it a real convo. None of the rappers who might feel a way seemed to have said anything, maybe because in their own youthful journey, LL was a North Star. Maybe not the only one, but a North Star nonetheless — and what’s the point in arguing something that until he said it, it doesn’t seem like a single other person has thought about? Have we all thought about who the greatest rapper of all time is? Sure, and we will argue about it forever. But most important? There are almost too many factors to consider. Is it worth arguing with a person who “humbly” has decided that it’s HIM and has been around long enough, and successful long enough, and relevant long enough to make a legitimate claim? Probably not.
So go off, LL. You got this one, bro. And if you aren’t THE most important you’re definitely one of the most important. Thing is, it isn’t even worth it to figure out the “right” answer.
LL Cool J, greatest of all time.
Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).
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